Scouting home and abroad for things that inspire good living

Made in Seattle

In the sunshine, Mount Ranier stands impossibly tall to Seattle’s south and the Olympic mountain range hovers in the west passed the Puget Sound standing between the city and the Pacific Ocean. Hold on to the glimmer of the sun’s beams when they do come out and cascade the emerald city.

Seattle’s most famous and prevalent export is quite possibly Starbucks coffee. As the fastest-growing metropolis in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle and its surrounding area has bred great outdoor brands like R.E.I. andFilson. The city is also a Silicon Valley of the North with mega tech companies such as Microsoft, Nintendo and Amazon. Oh, and did we mention Boeing got its start here?!

Seattle may be plush with heavy hitters, but that doesn’t mean entrepreneurs and new artisans and artists aren’t paving their way. This is the hometown of Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain after all. Check out some of the new, great exports from Seattlers.

Hardmill

Photo credit: Hardmill

Founded by two brothers in Seattle, this is a relatively new brand, but their projects have old school allure. They’re simple in design, elegantly crafted and play in leathers and waxed canvases. I particularly love their knife rolls and rugged aprons.

Westland Distillery

Photo credit: Westland Distillery

It was whilst sipping an evening cocktail at Chop Shop in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, that we discovered Westland — the featured whiskey in our beverage. It has smooth and sharp flavor more akin to Scotch than the American bourbon. Get some. Drink it neat or put in your Manhattan.

Sur la table

This kitchen mecca got its start on Pike Place. It’s not exactly a small retailer today as the second largest kitchen supplies store in the U.S. after William-Sonoma. You can easily get lost in here reimagining your culinary expertise and undertakings.